The officers had pulled over Nathan Randolph on Broad Street near Laurel. They say he got out of his car wielding a knife and wouldn't listen when they repeatedly told him to put it down. They say Randolph charged so they opened fire.More >>

A preliminary report indicates the officers' actions were justified in the police involved shooting of a man with a knife on Broad Street. Now police are investigating the death of the suspect's fiance. More >>

RICHMOND, VA (WWBT) – The fate of a Richmond man, accused of strangling his fiancé and charging at Richmond police with a knife is now in the hands of a jury. 55 year old Nathan Randolph is charged with first degree murder in the death of Alnita Coleman.

At first glance, the police shooting on Broad Street at 2:30 in the morning last April appeared to be an attention-getting, but isolated incident.

"I heard six gun shots it was pop, pop and then a pop, pop, pop," said Robert Robinson, who witnessed the shooting in April.

"A lot of fireworks up in here early in the morning," said another witness.

But police say a murder the night before is really what started it all...

Prosecutors say Randolph smothered and strangled his former wife and fiancé, Alnita Coleman with a neck tie. She was found in his bed in his home on Monteiro Street. Police say they found his DNA on the ends of the tie and on the collar of a shirt stained with Alnita's blood.

Prosecutors allege Randolph wrote on the wall in a marker, "I loved her too much," before they say he took a kitchen knife from the kitchen.

Just a few hours later he was spotted by Richmond police slowly running red lights on Broad Street. When he was pulled over, police say Randolph got out of his car, refused to listen to them and eventually showed them a knife. The officers say Randolph again ignored repeated requests to put down the knife.

Then they say Randolph charged. Four officers opened fire. The next day the bullet holes were scattered all along store fronts on Broad. Randolph survived, but later told police quote, "I'm sorry I'm still here."

His defense attorneys argue all the evidence is circumstantial and that no one knows what actually happened to Alnita inside that bedroom.

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